Murphy announces effort to combat opioid crisis

As part of the Murphy’s Administration strategic efforts to combat the opioid crisis, the New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Human Services announced the Opioid Reduction Options (ORO) program aimed at reducing opioid prescribing to treat chronic pain in hospital emergency departments.

The program will provide training and education to health systems on other pain relief options in place of opioids. The initiative builds on efforts by the Office of the Attorney General to regulate opioid prescribing, educate prescribers about the risks associated with opioids, and target enforcement efforts against reckless and criminal over-prescribers.

Nationally, emergency departments prescribe opioids at a rate about 17 percent. New Jersey is home to best practices that reduce opioid prescribing— St. Joseph’s Health reduced opioid prescribing down to 2 percent. The hospital has been recognized nationally.